Summit County Open Space and Trails staff are seeking feedback on their draft management plan for the Tenderfoot Meadows Open Space along Highway 6 between Dillon and Keystone. A community open house on the plan has also been announced for June 14th.
SUMMIT COUNTY – The Summit County Open Space and Trails Department is inviting the public to an open house in Frisco from 5-7pm on June 14th in the Buffalo Mountain Room at County Commons to learn about the Tenderfoot Meadows Open Space Management Plan. Public comment on the plan is due by June 16th.
Originally purchased by Summit County in 2001, the open space parcel is located along Highway 6 between Dillon and Keystone, providing wildlife habit, an undisturbed visual buffer between the two towns, and portions of the SCRAP (landfill) trail system.
According to County Open Space officials, the management plan has been updated to better capture the current usage of the property and the surrounding landscape, while outlining management guidelines that will allow the Open Space and Trails Department to balance natural resource protection with recreation demand on the property.
The draft is available online at https://bit.ly/3I123jg
“The County’s Open Space and Trails Master Plan emphasizes a balanced approach to open space management that considers both protection of wildlife and habitat and recreational opportunities,” said Jordan Mead, Resource Specialist for Summit County Open Space and Trails. “The Tenderfoot Meadows plan update will allow us to implement management actions that take both conservation and recreation into account,” he continued.
Included in the plan is a seasonal wildlife closure from December 1 to April 1, recommended by Colorado Parks & Wildlife, to protect critical winter and spring deer and elk habitat. Wildlife managers recommended a closure due to the sensitive and unique nature of the sage meadow on the property, coupled with recent declines in the elk herd south of Interstate 70. In winter and spring, when deep snows can limit available habitat, the south-facing meadow serves as a low-elevation refuge for reproducing wildlife.
Also outlined in the draft plan are noxious weed management techniques, strategies for working with partners and neighboring landowners, along with criteria for assessing new recreational uses and management tactics on the property.
Community members can provide feedback in person at the June 14th open house or by sending an email to Jordan Mead in the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department at jordan.mead@summitcountyco.gov now through the close of business on June 16th, 2023.